Turkey Pumpkin Chipotle Nachos

These fall/Thanksgiving inspired nachos are all spicy, savory, sweet and I am so grateful for how great they taste.

Roasted pumpkin, ground turkey and chipotle chilis in adobo sauce are layered over black bean topped tortilla chips and smothered in jack and cheddar cheese.

Dollops of cool sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped scallion rings finish off the dish.

I have two suggestions for making this recipe. The first is if you are too lazy or have not planned to make a Thanksgiving dinner, make these and serve them with some fall flavored margaritas, I lmy http://www.diaryofamadhausfrau.com/2017/08/cherry-chili-margaritas.htmlCherry Chili version. That’s definitely a Thanksgiving meal alternative I can get behind.

These are festive enough to impress your guests, even as a pseudo-Thanksgiving meal. Since the nachos take 40 minutes to make, you can throw them together last minute if you substitute canned pumpkin for the freshly roasted version. Bonus: Stand back and laugh at all your friends and family who have been cooking for a week.

The second option is, this recipe is a great option for using up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Substitute the ground turkey for 2-3 cups of leftover turkey meat chopped up into small pieces and you have a delicious Mexican spiked post-Thanksgiving meal. And did I mention they take 40 minutes to throw together? A great option after slaving for hours or days over your Thanksgiving meal.

I like the look of the blue corn chips which is the sole reason I used them. Alternately, if you have a bag of yellow or whites ones hanging around, use those. The chip variety won’t make much of a difference in the taste department. You can also substitute a can of kidney beans or refried beans if you have one of those hanging out in your pantry.

Turkey Pumpkin Chipotle Nachos

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium sized bag blue corn tortilla chips
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion
1 lb ground turkey
1/3 cup tomato paste
1-2 chipotle peppers (depending on your spice preference) in adobo sauce, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoon water.
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups chopped roasted pumpkin pieces (see instructions below)
1 can black beans
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh scallions
1+1/2 cups Shredded jack and cheddar cheese

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the blue corn chips out on the pan.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
Peel and chop the onion and add it to the pan.
When the onions have softened, add the ground turkey and cook, stirring to combine.
Cook the turkey and onions, stirring until the turkey is no longer pink.
Add the tomato paste and chipotle peppers to the pan. Stir to combine.
Stir in the water
Mix in the pumpkin pieces.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain the black beans and spread them evenly over the corn chips.
Add the turkey pumpkin mixture over the top.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and place in the oven for 10 -25 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Remove from oven and garnish with sour cream and scallions and serve.

How to Make Fresh Roasted Pumpkin:

You will need one pie pumpkin.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the pumpkin WHOLE on the baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven and use a sharp carving knife to cut off the stem and discard unless you want to save it for a craft or decoration. If the knife does not cut easily through the pumpkin, return the whole pumpkin to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Slice the pumpkin into quarters and lay them flesh side up on the baking sheet. Return the pumpkin quarters to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is completely soft.
Let the quarters cool completely. Scoop out the seeds along with any tough stringy parts. Save the seeds if you wish to roast them later.
When the pumpkin quarters have completely cooled, use a sharp knife to peel off the skin. Cut the flesh into small pieces.